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What are people here using in lieu of the rit dye new formula no longer taking to a disc?

I had to go looking for information about this problem elsewhere and am surprised it isn't talked about more here as far as I can tell. So here is what I learned.

I went looking for either older boxes of powdered rit (supposedly if the serial #/date is earlier than 2011 it will work) or the liquid (non "ND") at Michaels but they had neither. I bought 1 box of the newer powdered Rit that they did have as well as another brand of fabric dye they had (can't remember the brand name) and tested them both on champion glow plastic - they both failed.

I had also read that apparently I could mix in ETOH with the newer Rit? but didn't want to go there if I could help it.

I had also heard about iDye poly dissolvable fabric dye so I went looking for that and found some at Columbia Art Supply on NE Burnside / 15th - they had a limited selection (it comes in many more colors, but fortunately had what I needed -black and red) for 3.59 each. I have since found 1 post earlier in this thread circa 2009 where someone indicated that this did not work for them. However iDye worked great for me (again it was champion glow and I think there is a difference between "iDye poly" and "iDye for natural fibers"). Also I did not try the separate packet of "color intensifier" that comes with each and which package says is for polyester. Maybe that would have produced an even brighter red but not what I was looking for.

Comment

What are people here using in lieu of the rit dye new formula no longer taking to a disc?

I had to go looking for information about this problem elsewhere and am surprised it isn't talked about more here as far as I can tell. So here is what I learned.

I went looking for either older boxes of powdered rit (supposedly if the serial #/date is earlier than 2011 it will work) or the liquid (non "ND") at Michaels but they had neither. I bought 1 box of the newer powdered Rit that they did have as well as another brand of fabric dye they had (can't remember the brand name) and tested them both on champion glow plastic - they both failed.

I had also read that apparently I could mix in ETOH with the newer Rit? but didn't want to go there if I could help it.

I had also heard about iDye poly dissolvable fabric dye so I went looking for that and found some at Columbia Art Supply on NE Burnside / 15th - they had a limited selection (it comes in many more colors, but fortunately had what I needed -black and red) for 3.59 each. I have since found 1 post earlier in this thread circa 2009 where someone indicated that this did not work for them. However iDye worked great for me (again it was champion glow and I think there is a difference between "iDye poly" and "iDye for natural fibers"). Also I did not try the separate packet of "color intensifier" that comes with each and which package says is for polyester. Maybe that would have produced an even brighter red but not what I was looking for.

Comment

You have to use the poly, but no need for the intensifier, it only leaves a weird, gummy residue. iDye definitely results in brighter colors, just be careful when you rinse the disc because if your water is too hot, it can make the dye run.

Whenever I see a matress on top of a car, I think it's a prostitute making a house call!

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Whoa, thanks MB. I guess I had been finding bits and pieces from the bible like tomes on that site via google, which is how I found out about the iDye poly alternative.

I just thought I would put out some of that info here since I was surprised that I was not seeing more talk on this forum from the local hardcores as to how they were dealing with their Rit withdrawal symptoms.

One other lesson I learned that is old hat for most everyone here I bet: removed any vinyl residue in between application of color layers. Some of that gunk that I did not see kept the 2nd and 3rd colors from setting perfectly. Very minor problem in my case, but noticeable for sure.

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Speaking of dyes, is anyone here currently taking commissions? PM me please, I have a one disc job I would pay to have done well.

dude, send it to danni... she really does fine work. i'm not huge into dyes, but i got wonder woman on my champ spyder and it is gorgeous. and really reasonably priced, but she may be really busy right now as it is the holiday season.

"'There are two mantras.,' Bernard said, 'Yum and yuk. Mine is yum.'"
Tom Robbins, Still Life With Woodpecker